1. (1564-1616) English poet, playwright, actor and director; not much is known about his life. He wrote 37 plays and over 200 poems, and is rumored to have contributed heavily to the translation of the King James' Bible. One of the most influential figures of the Renaissance era, his mastery of the English language, his keen understanding of human behavior, and his passionate dedication to the value of love and knowledge have ensured his survival, as a cross-cultural icon, for nearly 500 years, and at the dawn of a new century, the continuing popularity of his work seems to guarantee that his genius will continue to stretch far into the future; perhaps this continuing popularity is due to the fact that, though seen by many unenlightened eyes as old-fashioned, his works are filled with an insight and compassion for humanity, that were centuries ahead of their time.
Some of his plays include HAMLET, MACBETH, ROMEO AND JULIET, OTHELLO and A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM. There are rumors of a 38th play, but although several "re-discovered" manuscripts have been put forward as possible contenders, no case has been adequately proven for any of them, to date.
2. A guy who has charm, wit and a way with words; a jack-of-all-trades, a loyal friend, a trustworthy confidant, and a passionate lover. In short, a Renaissance man.

Renaissance playwright who has been ruined by English teachers and academics who insist on over-analyzing his plays and sonnets.

William Shakespeare was a brilliant playwright who's works are the cause of constant bitching from people either too stupid to understand them, or too lazy to bother to try.

His most famous works being: Hamlet, Macbeth, and Othello. Which deal with (respectively): A depressed goth kid, Assassinating leaders, and interracial sex...if this isn't relevant to modern times I don't know what is.

History's greatest playwright, and one of the greatest poets.

He used English like Hendrix used the guitar.

Undeniably the most influential man in the porno industry. By altering many of the titles from his thirty-seven plays, the Shakespearean theme in the bedroom--or anywhere else for that matter--has been an immediate success, beginning with 'The Secret Sex Lives of Romeo and Juliet' (1969). Other raunchy adaptations of the famous bard's work consist of titles like: A Midsummer Night's Cream, A Midsummer's Wet Dream, A Midsummer Night's Creampie, King Rear, Loves Labia Licked, Hardcore Lady Macbeth, In The Flesh (an adaptation of Macbeth), Measure for Measure (involving two gay department store salesmen), The Taming of the Screw, Titties Andronicus, Ebony Andronicus, Much Ado About Nuttin', Two Gentlemen DO Verona, Two Gentlemen IN Verona, Two Gentlemen In Each Other, The Merchant of Penis, Penis and Adonis, The Merry Whores of Windsor, The Merry Wives of Bukkake, The Tragedy of Julius Creamer, Julius' Semen, As You Like It... Over and Over, As You Lick It, The Best Part of Henry VI, Anal Laments: Romeo and Juliet, Romeo and Julian, Hamlet's Hoe, Hamlet Gets a Handjob, X Hamlet, Twelfth Night of Sodomy, Measure for Pleasure, Othelia/The Whore of Venice Beach, Othello: Dangerous Desire, Alls Well When Swallowed Well, The Rape of Lucrecia, The Rape of Lucy, The Rape of Luke (disputable), The Temptress, The Two Horny Kinsman, Shannon Does Shakespeare, and The Sodomy of Cleopatra. These titles can be located on various sites, like IMDB.com, Radosh.net, and Panopticist.com for the...

One of histories first signs of emo.

A method of torture used by English teachers on their students for their own sick amusment and the cause of a surge of sparknotes.com users

A guy who wrote good plays that confuses the hell out of amerians